What did I cook this weekend.....

While I commonly grill in snow (and sometimes rain), I admit I've never had to contend with several feet of snow whilst grilling. You've got a big, strong hubby, get him to shovel a path to your grill & clear a little space around it for you, just enough to give you room to work; then grill up something extra tasty. Maybe make some snow ice cream for dessert?
Regards, GF.

 

I've grilled in 3 feet of snow and -30 before

 

Yeah, it's 40 feet in hip deep snow to get to it. Spring has to come sometime, right?

 

You better hope it doesn't come too fast. All that snow can create a huge flooding problem!

Reminder to dig the patio to the grill and install gas tank. Now, what to grill??

 

Always do...

 

I just cackled like a yutz at my desk.

 

We started our first batch of mustard on Sunday. Used a recipe where you simply soak the seeds in vinegar, plus water or wine (we used BEER!), and some seasonings and turmeric for 3 days, then blend it.

It's currently pretty pungent but from what I've read, we'll leave it sit on the counter and taste-test each day (oh darn!) til it gets to a "bite" we like. KOTC likes it fine the way it is but I'd prefer it a little more mellow!

We did NOT blend it all the way down smooth, which the recipe called for, as we prefer a little toothsomeness to it. First effort I'd say was successful! It is duly dubbed "Ol' Yella Mustard #1" - made just about exactly two cups. That's a pint Mason jar.

 

Is that just yellow seeds - no brown? Did you add any ground mustard to it?

I make my own mustard with a 50/50 mix of yellow and brown seeds. The first time I made it I added ground mustard as well and it became very bitter. The second time I left out the ground mustard and I like it a lot better. I think I use vinegar in mine.

 

It's all yellow seeds, no ground mustard, vinegar, some stout, turmeric, a few seasonings. I can post the recipe if you're interested. It was about as easy as it could possibly get!

 

Sure, post it. I don't use any seasonings, just the seeds and vinegar. Soak for a few days, blend. I wouldn't mind trying something new though. I bought pounds (literally) of seeds.

 

Me too, Andrew - LOTS of yellow and brown mustard seeds in this house! LOL!

Here is the recipe I used, with my own tweaks in parentheses:

1/3 cup (55g) mustard seeds (used yellow)
1/3 cup white wine vinegar (used rice vinegar and a splash of white vinegar to make up 1/3 cup - will try apple cider vinegar at some point)
1/3 cup dry white wine or water (used homebrewed Stout)
1 tablespoon maple syrup (used sugarfree maple-flavored syrup, we don't do sugar much)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
Big pinch cayenne pepper, to taste
2 to 4 tablespoons warm water, if needed, to thin out (used more Stout!)
optional - 1 to 3 teaspoons prepared horseradish (did not use this)

1. Combine all ingredients except horseradish in a nonreactive bowl (used a Ziploc 4 cup plastic lidded container, which stained with the turmeric but I didn't care!) - cover and let stand for 2-3 days. (Did 3 days)

2. Put ingredients in blender and whiz til as smooth as possible (we left some texture in it). Add liquid if needed to thin it out if it's too thick (I used maybe 2 tablespoons of the Stout to rinse out all the goodies from the soaking container and poured that into the blender before blending commenced.) Blend in horseradish, if using.

The mustard will keep up to 6 months refrigerated, although it's best if used within a month.


I read elsewhere in another recipe to leave it on the counter and taste it daily til the pungency got to a level that was right for your own taste buds, then refrigerate to stop it mellowing any further. This made two cups of mustard.

 

Thanks Char!

 

Thanks for posting the recipe. I have got to try this! I have a ton of mustard seeds, both black and yellow, that I need to use up!

 

It couldn't be much easier, Travis - hope you like it too!

 

Made some soup today

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I think the kid liked it

 

Kimchi jigae, with oyster mushrooms and bacon. Spicy, but not too much.
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AWESOME! The chicken looks so good trussed up that way, plump & juicy! That could've been the main meal all by itself. I never tried adding kale to chicken soup before, but I certainly will next time I make it. The very last pic pretty much says it all; well done on the pics too!
Regards, GF.

 

That just looks fantastic! Makes me miss the Yukgaejang that I used to get a lot in Korea when I was traveling over there all the time years ago!

 

I was surprised how well it came out for a first try. Very simple though. I just need to make more kimchi now - burned through almost a whole quart jar there.

 

I gotta make something this weekend but I am out of ideas. I haven't cooked anything interesting in a while. Last night after work I was starting to bottle some Dry Stout and I noticed the avacado and tomato on my window sill were looking like they were on their last legs so I made:

1 large avacado, Diced
1 Roma tomato, Diced
2 stalks Green Onion, sliced and chopped
Canned Jalapenos, chopped well (to taste)
salt
pepper

Normally I would also chop up some garlic and use a touch of lime juice, but last night I forgot the garlic and I'm out of lime juice.

It was awesome! Nice save on the fruits and a nice snack eat while making dinner and bottling beer. My wife was reading my mind because she brought home some tortilla chips on her way home from dinner.

 

Tonight I am going to celebrate the wife's promotion by making my locally (very locally) famous Basque oxtail stew and white rice.

I'll also put Bertha on the stove to boil out some bottles for bottling this weekend. If you are in Astoria, please come over and help me.

 

Im planning to make chicken alfredo tomorrow (crazy hard recipe, I know ) since its the girlfriends favorite. Any suggestions for a good sauce? I was going to try this recipe unless any of you have objections. Cheers!

http://www.gourmet-food-revolution.com/chicken-alfredo-recipe.html

 

Looks good to me...

 

Honestly I prefer carbonara to Alfredo (it's all about the pancetta). Just my $0.02

 

Mmmm, carbonara....my mouth just started watering...

 

Awesome! I have been thinking now and again how I can make an alfredo sauce from scratch! Most of the jarred stuff is just not that great to me.

The article claims that alfredo sauce has invented in the 1930's, but I think I read somewhere that Tomatoes weren't even grown in Europe until explorers discovered the New Land, and before that they used to use cream-based sauces. I can't imagine they didn't have an alfredo style sauce back then...

 

If what I heard was true, your typical pasta during the Renaissance was daubed in a sweet cinnamon sauce. Kind of insipid sounding actually...

 

So many Italian restaurants just doctor their alfredo sauce and call it carbonara...even the "authentic" places. I think they are afraid of the raw eggs...but you can easily get pasteurized eggs. I would love some real carbonara pasta! Like this:
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spaghetti_alla_carbonara/

 

Never something I order out I always prepare it in my kitchen. And you're right, it is not usually authentic.
The eggs in the carbonara are partially cooked with the heat of the pasta.

 

that is certainly a favorite of mine which I havent made in awhile!

 

Would sub in about six oz of cream cheese for six of the cream. Really richens alfredo up.

 

I was thinking about doing that but wasnt sure how itd work out with this recipe. Last alfredo I made on a whim I used all cream cheese since I was out of heavy cream. It was really good but almost too rich

 

i'm not a huge fan of cream cheese in the alfredo... it masks the buttery taste and makes the sauce too tart. i love a sweet cream sauce.

 

White Bean Cassoulet with Smoked Ham and Sausage

This is extremely hearty, nutritious, and filling. Double the recipe for a family of 4-5.



1 lb. package, dried, Great Northern White Beans
4 links Sweet Italian Sausage

For the Garniture:
Olive Oil
1 Vidalia Onion, peeled, diced into 1 cm cubes, ends retained for stock
2 large Carrots, peeled, diced into 1 cm cubes
Few sprigs of fresh Thyme, picked and finely minced
2 cloves Garlic, peeled, finely minced
1 large Red Bell Pepper, seeded, diced into 1 cm cubes, ends retained for stock
1/2 cup Smoked Ham, diced into 1 cm cubes
Pre-cooked, pre-diced sausage links
Kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Cayenne, use sparingly
Smoked paprika
Knob of butter

For the Stock:
Water
1 quart Pork Stock (homemade) or vegetable stock *see notes*
2 large Carrots, peeled, halved once into large sticks
1 Onion, peeled and halved
2 large Bay Leaves
Any retained ends of Onion and Bell Pepper

1. Soak dried white beans overnight in slightly more than double their volume in water. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F, coat the sausage with a bit of oil and place on a sheet tray lined with foil. Cook until golden brown, turning twice, approx. 20 minutes. Let cool, dice into 1/2 inch pieces, and reserve for the next day.

2. The next day, drain and rinse the bean water. Add new cold water in a pot with the beans to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to boil, drain, rinse beans, and refill the pot with enough water to barely cover the beans this time.

-The first boil will remove much of the gases held within the beans that cause flatulence-

3. Top off with pork stock (or vegetable stock) so that there is approx. 2-3 inches of total liquid covering the beans. Add any vegetable scraps you have such as onion ends, bell pepper ends, large chunks of carrot, and the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and keep there until tender enough to consume the beans without using your teeth, but not super mushy (approx. 2 hours uncovered).

-You're essentially reinforcing the cooking liquid with vegetable flavor, which will concentrate the taste of the final product.-

4. Meanwhile, preheat a large saute pan. When hot, add a bit of olive oil and wait until hot. Proceed to add the onion, carrot and thyme, stirring constantly over medium heat so that they become tender and soft without acheiving any color or browning. This is called sweating.

5. Season to taste with salt, pepper, cayenne, and smoked paprika. After 5 minutes, add the garlic and bell pepper. Continue to sweat the vegetables. After 3 minutes, add the diced smoked ham and sausage.

6. Correct seasoning once again, turn off heat, and stir in a knob of butter.

7. When the beans are done, discard the large pieces of carrot, onion, bay leaves, etc. from the stock/cooking liquid. Drain some of the cooking liquid so that the beans look sort of like a stew, sitting in approx. 1.5 to 2 inches of stock. Add the garniture to the beans and stir. Correct seasoning for a final time.

-I made pork shoulder for pulled pork earlier in the week. That is where I got the pork stock. You can use vegetable stock instead, or experiment with some combination of water, stock, and a bock beer or dark lager.-

 

Well in all fairness I never make alfredo except for blackened chicken alfredo.When that blackening seasoning melds in it could be limburgher and I wouldn't care. Love me some blackened chicken fredo.

 

I also want to add no matter how you make it it's still way the heck better than any thing out of a jar I've had.

 

This is the Alfredo I always made for the microwave cooking class I taught at Freidmans Microwaves MANY years ago:

1⁄2 cup butter (1 cube. Do not substitute this ingredient!)
1 - 2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Place butter and garlic in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup.
Microwave uncovered on HIGH for about 2 minutes.
Remove and stir in whipping cream and some grinds of black pepper.
Return to the microwave uncovered on HIGH for another 2-3 minutes, until bubbling.
Remove and stir in Parmesan cheese, return to the microwave for 2-3 minutes longer until thick and smooth.
Season to taste.

You can vary this up by adding a pinch of nutmeg, or some rubbed dried basil. I like it the way the recipe is written though.

SO simple and so good!

 

I make a Béchamel sauce when I make Alfredo using whole milk I dont like how heavy cream is so uh heavy